The bargain upgrade Man Utd can steal from Man City and Arsenal

Suraj Radia

• 21 Mar 2024 20:02 GMT
• 3 min read

Manchester United may be able to pull off one of the bargain buys of the window and beat their rivals to a key transfer target with one swift signing.

United are expected to revamp their transfer strategy under Sir Jim Ratcliffe, with high-earners such as Casemiro set to be moved on and a policy of cheaper, smaller names likely to be implemented.

The departure of Casemiro will leave a significant hole in Erik ten Hag’s midfield, with the likes of Joao Gomes and Amadou Onana believed to be considered as potential replacements.

READ MORE: Man Utd are targeting the WRONG Casemiro replacement

While either player would add defensive steel to United’s midfield, neither are considered specialists on the ball and would still ask players such as Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount or Scott McTominay to operate with a tempo outside their comfort range.

United had hoped Christian Eriksen would fulfil the deeper, playmaker role similar he excelled in at Tottenham and Inter, however the Dane appears to be on the decline and has been forced into more of a box-to-box role.

Ten Hag has been aware of United’s lack of a natural passer in midfield, hence why Frenkie de Jong has been a long-term target, but with the focus now on cheaper targets, a standout player could emerge as an ideal option to suit the team’s needs.

The shrewd signing from Spain

Real Sociedad are growing fearful that they may be forced to sell star midfielder Mikel Merino this summer when he enters the final 12 months of his contract.

The 27-year-old joined the La Liga side from Newcastle in 2018 and has since gone on to become a regular in the Spanish national team, impressing with his passing, aerial ability and balance in attack and defence.

Merino’s contractual situation has led to the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal exploring the prospect of signing him in a cut-price deal this summer, although neither side could perhaps offer the Sociedad man a better option of regular playing time than United.

As well as covering some of the defensive solidity Casemiro’s departure would require, Merino would also represent an improvement on another United midfielder in McTominay.

With four goals and three assists in La Liga, no midfielder in Europe’s top five leagues have won more aerial duels than Merino this season.

The ability to sign a significant upgrade for below market value while also taking a target away from rivals should prove to be a no brainer for United, especially considering the international pedigree Merino would bring as a player at his physical peak.

With the days of big money pursuits such as Casemiro and De Jong likely to be a thing of the past, signing Merino would represent a rare shrewd move in United’s recent transfer business to usher in a new era under Ratcliffe.